


shine of the moon and light of the stars

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Fluff and good stuff, Gen, Magical Girl AU., angst later on, this might seem ooc butt, who am i kidding angst is everywhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-06-01 08:51:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6511384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsukishima Kei didn't want to be a part of this, whatever it was.<br/>Alternatively: Yamaguchi is a hot superhero, Tsukishima is gay, and everyone suffers.</p><p> </p><p>(updates will be in february! sorry for the wait!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. moonbeams and lions

**Author's Note:**

> sometimes i lie awake at night and think "yamaguchi and tsukishima have an ideal dynamic so why has no one written them as superheroes?"
> 
> the answer is bc you'll end up getting too invested and then already know what the climax of the last chapter is. 
> 
> enjoy!

There’s no way you can wake up with superpowers, right?

You'd obviously say no, because it’s scientifically impossible, right? That’s what Tsukishima thought.  
  
If you have logic and reason, it’s not like you can, just shoot fire out of your fingers and scream, “Holy fuck, I’m a superhero!” But that’s exactly what happened, since the universe forbade him from enjoying and suffering through his existence.

 

He was some sort of superhero/magical girl hybrid. Or would it be magical boy? Wait, why does he care?

To his slight disappointment, there was no transformation sequence, like in the magical girl animes Yamaguchi was always forcing him to watch, although he did get a small shower of white glitter.

At this point you must be confused about what’s going Glitter, transforming, and his hair was different?! What kind of Sailor Moon parody was this and how come he was stuck as the protagonist?

 He was surely supposed to be the antagonist, right?

 After he had stopped freaking out about the fact that he had transformed into whatever the hell he was using his godforsaken headphones, it was actually pretty cool.

Tsukishima was a superhero.

Unlikely.

Cool, but still unlikely.

The outfit itself, although a bit on the gaudy side, was remotely comfortable. It consisted of a black bodysuit, most likely leather, with cutouts on his shoulders and elbows, and the hem ended at his ankle, with a hood that he was fond of, as it would come in handy when his identity needed to stay a secret.

The shoes were simple, almost like padded tights, except the pads were on his feet in place of soles. There was also a cloak of sorts that fastened with a crescent moon clip over his right shoulder, the cloak's tail brushing the middle of his calves. There was a mask secured over his eyes, contacts replacing his glasses, a deep shade of blue, and in the shape of a crescent moon, sharpening near his cheekbones. 

Tsukishima wondered how much of Sailor Moon Yamaguchi would force him to watch before he actually got the gist of being a superhero. Provided that he told Yamaguchi about whatever he was hiding.

His stomach was performing a entire gymnastics routine just thinking about telling anyone his secret. But the nagging tug at the very back of his brain reminded him of how the freckled boy always confided in him.

So Tsukishima probably owed it to him.  
In the end, and after a very painful internal (and external) debate, Tsukishima decided against it.

 It was probably best for Yamaguchi's safety that he kept it a secret, after all.

Now came the fun part, according to those cheesy American fantasy novels Yachi insisted on reading during lunch break: trying out whatever powers this “magic” stuff gave him.

Not that he read them or anything, he just skimmed the summary on the back of the book jacket. That was all.

Since it was still remotely late and no one would hopefully be up at this time, he did a cross between parkour and gymnastics in empty parking lots and vaulted himself off of buildings, often followed by the occasional fall into a group of hedges or a strategically placed dumpster bin.

Thanks to being a klutz, the blind spent the rest of his excursion smelling like expired milk and cat food.

Enjoyable.

Overall, he could deal with this whole ‘the fate of the city rests on your shoulders and if you fail, we could all possibly die' predicament.

Just like volleyball.

After walking on a few rooftops and “borrowing” a strawberry popsicle from the local convenience store(he left some yen notes on the counter though, he wasn’t a monster, you know), the blond found a billboard to dangle his feet over, watching the lights in neighborhoods flicker out as their residents succumbed to sleep.

Looking up, Tsukishima felt something brush his eyes, not to mention he couldn’t see the sky like he was used to, reached up to feel his forehead, and there was the source of his problem.

His hair was different. Like shaggier. The close cropped ends now brushed the nape of his neck and his usually tamed bangs fell into his face, practically blocking out his line of sight

“Now I know how Kuroo feels with that stupid bedhead of his”, Tsukishima muttered while absentmindedly brushing the occasional stray hair out of his peripheral vision.

The view was enjoyable, that is, until a voice to his right almost made him let out an almost feminine sounding shriek.  
 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”  
 

There was a boy, looking to be about his age, with silver hair. The roots weren’t terribly dyed like the cat-like setter at Nekoma so he had to touch it up often. Either that or he was born with it.

But what was even more noticeable than the shine of his hair was the spattering of freckles across his nose and cheekbones, the trail slowly thinning out towards his sharp collar bones, which were exposed to the chill of the night.

The boy made himself comfortable next to Tsukishima, all the while respectively keeping his distance as if Tsukishima's aura was made of boric acid.

So Tsukishima took a chance to take in the figure next to him.

His suit was a little tighter, Tsukishima took notice of the muscles that lightly pressed through the fabric, colored a royal shade of blue, complete with a high collar that was popped to let in cool air and it ended around the middle of his thighs, where tiny clusters of freckles peeked through the mesh tights he wore to protect the exposed skin. He wore laced up boots, fit for running like his.

The mask that covered his cheekboneswas a swirling mass of white, glimmering in the moonlight whenever the boy turned his head.

“So,”, started the mystery boy, “Do you have any super powers? I’m hoping you do! I mean, I do as well, but they’re kind of lame and I was hoping you had some better ones so I don’t look like a dunce when we're seen fighting together or something like that, if you want to become partners that is-“

His rambling was annoying, but only the slightest bit endearing, like a puppy that doesn’t know when to stop barking.

Letting out a sigh, Tsukishima slipped off the board to the roof below, his cloak billowing out like a parachute.

A squeak of surprise sounded from the other boy, who he guessed wasn’t sure about getting down.

Still, even from that high up, Tsukishima felt the boy's curious eyes burning holes into his back.

As Daichi would say, “If they want a show, give 'em the best damn performance you can.”

Reaching his hand out, Tsukishima focused on bringing down a beam of moonlight. He didn’t know how he was going to or what the hell he was doing, but with a tug in his stomach and a flash of light, there was something in his hand.

The moonbeam was warm and solid, but as the same time, cool and gel-like, as if he could drop it any second.

 

It was as if it was there, but it wasn’t, which made his head throb trying to process it.

The boy was standing a good foot or two away from him, but his dark eyes widened in awe.

 

“Wow, that’s so cool! I wish I could do something like that!”

“Well then, what can you do?”

The boy flushed from the roots of his hair all the way to his feet.

“It’s, um, it's nothing special..” He ground the toe of his boot into the apartment roof, as if he was trying to wear away the shoe altogether.

Something told him that this kid wasn’t used to being the center of attention or if he was even acknowledged in activities.

Probably.

With a light blush still dusting his cheekbones, the silver haired boy muttered something akin to some form of Latin, and a stream of silver light sprouted from his fingertips. With the light, he drew something that looked suspiciously like the Leo constellation.

The constellation grew until it enveloped the boy like an eggshell. Seconds later, he emerged with enhanced features. His pupils flattened to slits, sharp canines settled on his bottom lip, not to mention his silver mane was looking a little untamed.

“Try not to talk to loudly. The Leo takeover kinda upgrades my senses so literally everything is plugged into an amplifier right now.

“What are you?” Tsukishima couldn’t help what came out of his mouth, although it did sound a little rude.  
 

“I honestly don’t know. To be honest, I didn’t even know I could do this until about half an hour ago.”

Great. The one person he thought knew was going on, didn’t know jack shit about what was going on.  
 

“All I know is that this happens whenever I try a takeover.”

 The boy lifted the collar of his suit to reveal a glowing pattern of freckles clustered together on his collarbone. They were arranged in the shape of the constellation Leo, the glow pulsing lightly, as if in tune with his heartbeat.

“Woah..” For the first time, Tsukishima was in shock. This boy, whatever his name was, was a literal star. He emitted a warm glow and practically drew others to him, and his freckles shone individually like a star in their own nebula.

“HEY!! Get down from there!” The tension was abruptly cut as a limelight broke the dark shadows. Turns out the police had been alerted (maybe Kei hadn’t been as careful as he thought when he stole those popsicles) but now there were at least 6 squad cars parked in front of the building.

“Wha-, sorry I gotta leave!” The silver haired boy was almost over the roof, but Tsukishima panicked.

“Wait! I didn’t get your name!”

“Starlight. Call me Starlight.”

And with a wink, he was gone.


	2. mario kart and green eyed monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukki has his gay awakening, angstville and fluff confetti, plus some pain near the end ;3c

“Really, Kei? You meet the hottest guy you’ve ever seen and all you can ask him is what’s his name? I’m disappointed in you.”

"Aki-nii, I love you but please, fuck off and let me wallow in my gay feelings for like 5 minutes.”

The night before seemed like a dream to Kei, haunted by chocolate brown eyes and moonbeam smiles. He didn’t even know the boy, except for the fact that he had freckles covering the entirety of his body. Believe it or not, that was still a large fraction of the Miyagi prefecture, if not the whole island of Japan.

“Well, being gay and sad is probably going to have to wait. I’m guessing you forgot Yamaguchi was coming over in about 15 minutes?”

Kei shot out of the covers like a bullet, attempting to comb through his mussed hair and brush his teeth simultaneously, although it was crystal clear that both tasks required both hands in order for them to be accomplished.

“Why didn’t you- _oof_!-tell me earlier! You know that I hate looking like a mess! Especially around him!”

Kei rose from where he had fallen and started speed walking down to the kitchen Akiteru shrugged, but nonetheless followed his brother out of his bedroom.

  “Mom said not to blow up the house while we're out. Well, I think she more or so directed it towards you because we all know Yamaguchi's a straight up angel.”

A crash sounded from the kitchen, causing the auburn haired boy to let out a sigh of exasperation.

“Kei! Don’t burn down the house while making breakfast, okay? Yamaguchi’s a witness so don’t try anything!”

Tsukishima let out a groan and almost pushed his older brother out onto the porch, but the elder obviously had more upper body strength, so to Kei it was like pushing a boulder covered in cement.

“Aki-nii, leave me alone and go on your date with Saeko nee-san before I make you.” Akiteru flushed furiously, and after sending Kei a sharp glare, he shrugged on his jacket and left the house.

“Well, one problem's taken care of.”, he sighed.

 It was then that the smoke alarm chose to go off, sending a shrill cry throughout the household.

“Shit!”

The blonde made a mad dash for the kitchen, where his pan was the center of a blazing fire, complete with acrid smoke that smelled distinctly of eggs. The pan immediately went into the sink under cold water, the burner turned off, and the smoke fanned out the window.

The only mark left from his accident were the ashy scorch marks left on the pristine stovetop, not to mention the array of burns decorating his forearms.

“Well, that’s going to be pleasant to clean up. Not today, though.”

Sighing, Kei walked out of the kitchen and fell face down on the couch, letting relaxation seep into his bones. Just when he thought that he finally had peace and quiet, a soft knock on the door almost made the blonde jump out of his skin.

“That must be Yamaguchi. Now the kitchen has to be cleaned. Great.”

Wiping off the worst of the scorch marks, Kei stomped toward the door, praying that he didn’t have ashes in his hair. Yamaguchi stood outside, decked in full winter gear, puffy coat and all, holding a brown paper bag bulging with what Kei hopes was edible food, and to top it off, the ends of his hair were dusted with a layer of snow.

“Tsukki! Thanks for inviting me over!”

Even thought it’s about 20 degrees outside, Yamaguchi felt strangely warm to Kei, as if he was hiding 10 different space heaters under that marshmallow coat of his.

“Of course I was going to invite you over. It's Saturday, practice was cancelled, and we all know today is the only day you’ll willingly get out of bed.”

Yamaguchi let out something between a snort and a laugh.

“Hey! I brought my lucky Jirachi socks but if you’re going to be rude and not appreciate me, I guess I’ll just leave.”

The freckled boy turned his mouth up into a mock pout, and started to gather his things.

“So, does this mean you’re technically forfeiting our Mario Kart rematch today? If so, there’s a bowl of soggy French fries on the counter and it would be a shame if they were to go to waste..”,the blonde whispered snidely.

Yamaguchi's shoulders automatically tensed, as if someone had snapped a rubber band against the small of his back.

“French fries, you say?” He immediately turned around, the joyous smile once again on his face.

“Oh Tsukki, thank you for inviting me over, it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other!” Tsukishima only groaned and took Yamaguchi’s coat and the bag he was holding. “

When you filled out your volleyball application, did you put _fake piece of shit_ in the redeeming qualities section?

" _Tsukki_!”

Yamaguchi mumbled a quick “pardon the intrusion” before toeing off his shoes and heading upstairs to the guest bathroom to draw a bath. A simple cotton t-shirt with a Pikachu sitting in the middle and gray sweatpants lay folded on the granite counter. His Jirachi socks(which Tsukki must’ve fished out of his coat pocket)were dry, free of the chill from the morning snow.

The bath turned into a quick shower, and the quick shower turned into him literally hopping in and out of the freezing stream of water. They seriously needed to get that fixed.

The sweatpants were loose around the ankles and the shirt just accentuated his resemblance to a chicken bone, so the pant cuffs were rolled up and the shirt was left alone because Yamaguchi didn’t know how to alter it without cutting something.

“Tsukki! I smell smoke! Did you burn breakfast again?” The freckled boy walked into the living room with a towel wrapped around his neck, hair still wet from the shower, wrinkling his nose at the smell of smoke permeating the air with a horrible stench. The lump of blankets in the foyer let out an unintelligible grumble, which the brunet interprets as a yes, so he set to work so the both of them didn’t starve.

Thankfully, there were toaster waffles in the freezer, so Yamaguchi just put those in the toaster and heated up some bacon.  
Tsukishima wandered in a few minutes later, snacking on the strawberry macarons Yamaguchi had brought with him.

“Mom sent those because she knew if she didn’t supply you with food, you’d die.”

“I can cook.”

“Sure. And I can spike with my eyes closed.”

Tadashi didn’t want to be rude but they both knew that Kei couldn’t cook anything that didn’t involve a microwave oven or ramen packets.

“Fine.”

Before he left, Kei's hand dashed towards the plate where Yamaguchi had put the bacon, causing the freckled teen to smack the taller's hand with his.

“Tsukki! If you keep stealing food, you’re going to ruin your appetite! You’re even worse than Nana!”

Nana was Tadashi's chocolate lab who had the exact same eating habits as Tsukishima. The two were so alike that Yamaguchi was surprised that Nana didn’t belong to Tsukki and not him.

“Don’t compare me to that four-legged slobber factory. At least I have manners.”, complained Tsukishima from his blanket fortress on the couch.

“Yes, Tsukki. You’re the nicest person I’ve ever met. Hold on, let me get the plates off the stove and we’ll eat afterwards. Maybe discuss your pajama choices.”

The blonde sunk further into his blanket pile, murmuring something about how stegosauruses were for plebeians and that he preferred T-rexes.

* * *

 

“Ha-ha! Eat my dust, you dirty dinosaur nerd!”

Yamaguchi sat cross-legged on a tower of blankets and pillows, sweatpants pulled up high to reveal a pair of Jirachi socks and freckled thighs

“Who are you and what have you done with the innocent being that was my friend?”

Breakfast plates lay discarded on the coffee table while the boys continued their Mario Kart tournament that Yamaguchi was currently winning.

“He’s gone, Tsukki. Just like your chances at winning.”

Kei liked to think he had every right to fear for his life.

But then the blond ran into one of the multicolored die floating on the track.

“Tsukki don’t you dare-“

He dared. Tsukishima pressed the B button on his Wii remote.

“Did you just fucking _blue shell_ me?!”

The game ended with Princess Rosalina whining in 2nd place while Yoshi cruised into 1st.

Yamaguchi was seething while Tsukishima burst out laughing.

“So, how did my dust taste, Yamaguchi?”

“Tsukki, I thought we were friends, you traitor. I’ve never felt so hurt before.” The freckled boy clutched at his chest and wiped away a fake tear.

“I can’t believe my lucky socks failed me. I knew I should’ve gone with the Lunatone ones.”

Tsukishima snorted, but the laughs didn’t stop but instead came in bigger bursts, heaving his chest and making tears prick at his eyes

“You have to decapitate me, Tsukki, there’s no other way.”

“No other way for what, exactly?”

“There’s no other way for me to escape this _failure_.”

The blonde dragged a hand over his face, internally groaning at his friends dramatic behavior.

“C’mon drama king, Mom wants me to go shopping and I’m not leaving you alone.”  
Yamaguchi let out a exaggerated groan, flopping his limbs around until Tsukishima pushed him over into the blankets.

“Tsukki, I don’t want toooo!”

Groaning, Tsukishima began to drag Yamaguchi's dead weight to his room in order for them to get some clothes.

* * *

 

The walk to the store wasn’t as long as it was cold.

Yamaguchi had a few conversations with some snow drifts which made Tsukishima's hands unbearably numb from having to fish his friend out of the snow.

“Yamaguchi, I have concluded that the weather gods are the bane of your existence. I’d refrain from going outside.”

Yamaguchi pouted, crossing his powder laden arms across his equally covered chest.

“Tsukki! I told you I didn’t want to come! Besides, my shoes have traction!”

Traction failed Yamaguchi, as the boy fell right onto his butt. And into another snow drift, at that.

“Traction, my ass. You’re a _mess_ , Yamaguchi.”

* * *

 

The pair got what they needed from the store, including a cinnamon roll from the store's bakery section for Yamaguchi and a magazine that had an interesting cover story.

“What does your mom need with all this food? Aki-nii is leaving today, so isn’t it going to be just you and your mom, Tsukki?”

Tsukishima cleared his throat, gaze avoiding Yamaguchi’s eyes.

“My, uh, my dad is coming to visit from one of his business trips. He wants to talk to me about college stuff, even though we have 2 years left of high school. He said it’s about time since we’re graduating in two months and 2nd year is when we pick colleges.

“Oh.” The freckled teen looked down, seemingly focused more on his shoes.

Tsukishima swallowed around the lump of glass in his throat and spoke up in a choked voice.

“Yamaguchi, he wants me to quit volleyball and move to Tokyo for his internship. He said since I don’t seem like I’m interested in volleyball enough, he’s considering taking me out.”

Yamaguchi’s voice caught in his throat, hot and thick like a drink of hot chocolate that’s just a tad too sweet.

“Tsukki, you can’t! We’re so close to going to Nationals and you’re the best middle blocker we’ve ever had, Daichi-san said so himself, and I- Tsukki, you _can’t_ leave me! What about us graduating together and going to the same university?!”

It was the same senseless babbling Yamaguchi’s fell into when he was afraid, a cloak of insecurity that shielded him from the outside world and what they thought.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi. We haven’t even talked about it.”

“Sorry, Tsukki.”  
 

It was more of a cry for help than an apology.

* * *

  
 Yamaguchi left right before dinner, the pastry he had bought was sitting stale in his stomach along with Tsukishima’s words from their earlier conversation.

_“Yamaguchi, I’m leaving.”_

_Leaving…_

_Tokyo..._

_Internship…_

Who was he to stop his best friend, the one person he had no control over, no say in whatever,  from doing what he wanted?

He was just a roadblock in the pavement to success.

Magic crackled in his fingertips, head slipping in and out of consciousness.

_“C’mon Tadassshi. Jussst give in.”_

His eyes flattened to slits, then went back to their normal size as quickly as they had changed.

“No! Leave me alone, _please_!” He tugged at his hair, hard enough to make strands come out between his fingers, voice cracking on the last syllable.

An alleyway became his safe haven. And he sat there, sobbing and fighting at the monster in his head.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey yeah I know I'm a terrible person but I like making my faves suffer. It's weird don't ask.  
> Hmu on tumblr @barazumi-hajime


	3. good luck and shady cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yam gets the appreciation he deserves, we get some cute tsukyam, then anGST

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i lost all the notes i made for yamyams and his superpowers so i have to bullshit my way through it and hope none of you notice

The aftermath of his mental breakdown was absolute hell for Yamaguchi. After He had snuck in through his window, He had been kept awake by the loudness of everything, from the ticking of his alarm clock to the clatter of plates as his mom prepared breakfast for her early morning shift, so sleep wasn’t a luxury nor an option. He guessed it was one of the side effects of his Leo takeover and decided not to question it.

He wouldn’t had gotten any sleep anyway. Thinking about Tsukki leaving for Japan kept him awake until his alarm went off.

It honestly felt like a hollow nightmare, misty and unreal, but it still had that concept of cold, choking fear. His heart bled with the ache his body felt, but nonetheless he got ready for school. As he tugged on his uniform jacket, Yamaguchi let his fingers shakily hover over the second button.

“Get a grip, Tadashi. Not everyone is as hopelessly bi as you are.”

Yamaguchi dryly laughed, then finished getting dressed.

Daydreams were going to have to wait.

Two pieces of toast smothered in strawberry jam were all Yamaguchi managed to grab for breakfast before he was out the door. The neighbor’s dogs yapped at him as he ran by so he offered a little wave. Tsukishima stood in their usual waiting spot, leaning against a telephone pole with his headphones.

“Good morning, Tsukki!” The blond nearly jumped out of his skin, looking startled.

“Oh. It’s just you Yamaguchi.” Tadashi furrowed his brow in confusion.

_“What was that supposed to mean. “Just you”?”_

“Sorry, Tsukki!”

Tsukishima began walking up the hill, carefully sliding his headphones off to rest on his neck.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi. And hurry up before we’re late for practice and Daichi makes us do laps.”

The pair sported matching grimaces at the thought of having to do more laps than they were assigned. Yamaguchi hurried up to where Tsukishima was and began avidly talking about the dogs he saw on his way here, not catching the soft smile on Tsukishima's face, nor the way his eyes softened with a sort of fondness.

_“Unrequited love, huh?”_

Tsukishima stole another glance at Yamaguchi, who’s eyes were sparkling in the morning sunlight and his cheeks were flushed from talking so fast.

_“As long as it’s him, I think I’ll be okay.”_

* * *

They didn’t have to do laps by the time that they arrived, although Sugawara did advise them to try and get here a bit earlier so they wouldn’t have to worry.

“Alright, listen up. As you all know, we have a practice game against Nekoma this weekend and I’ve already prepared the starters.”

Yamaguchi hung his head, knowing fully that he wouldn’t be a starter. Not as long as there were so many other talented first years.

“Hinata, you’ll be our decoy and wing spiker for the second set. Kageyama, you’re the setter for the first set, then Sugawara will be for the second set. Asahi, you’re wing spiker for the first set. Tanaka you’re with me for receives, Noya's our libero as always, and Tsukishima you’re middle blocker.”  

He knew it was coming, yet why did he feel like crying? “Oh, and for some reason, they requested that near the second half of the second set, they want us to substitute Yamaguchi in for Hinata. Something about wanting to see our secret weapon.” He perked up in disbelief, facing the bright smiled of his teammates.

“Nice going, Yamaguchi! So talented that they requested to have you put in!” Noya jumped over and ruffled his hair. “Thank you Noya-senpai. But it’s just a serve. I’m not freakishly talented like Kageyama.”

Noya frowned, his hands dropping from Yamaguchi's hair.

“That’s not winner talk. Remember, you stole points from Aoba Jousai. You’re part of the reason why we’re going to nationals. Wear that on your sleeve proudly, kouhai!”

Yamaguchi blushed and scratched at his neck shyly. “I, um, thank you senpai!”

Noya smiled, patting Yamaguchi on the shoulder. “Now, let’s get practicing. Wouldn’t want that spear of yours to get dulled.”

The pair claimed a section of the net away from the rest of the team, as Yamaguchi’s serves had a tendency to fly out of path.

_“Nekoma requested me?!”_

Yamaguchi gripped the ball between his hands, shaking with giddiness.

“Yamaguchi, hit a nice serve!”

Breathing out, he closed his eyes and jumped, feeling the rubber surface of the ball skim his palm.

The ball landed away from where Noya was positioned to receive it and the libero nearly fell over trying to save it, yet it still landed inside the court.

Exactly where he wanted it.

“Nice serve, Yamaguchi!”

* * *

The rest of Yamaguchi’s classes went by in a blur, except the last one of the day. The one right before afternoon practice.

The teacher had passed out a quiz earlier, but he had already finished, so Yamaguchi sat idly, bouncing his pencil on the desk.

A scar he had never noticed caught his attention, the skin paler than his tan complexion. It was normal for him to have scars, as the strays near his house were something, if not friendly. He just never noticed that one before. He did well on the quiz that day.

Afternoon practice was cancelled, as Coach Ukai had gone home with a stomachache and it didn’t feel right practicing without their coach, so Daichi dismissed them at the gym with the usual farewells.

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima walked side by side, the former humming along to an old pop song.

“Say, Tsukki? Aren’t you excited to see Kuroo-san and the others this weekend? I’m sure your blocking skills have gotten better since the training camp.”

Yamaguchi stopped walking to pet at a stray cat that had happened to cross its path, giggling as the cat purred and nuzzled into his hand.

“It’s not like it’s that big of a deal, Yamaguchi. We have practice matches almost every weekend, so I don’t get what’s so special about it. C’mon, or else you’ll be walking home by yourself.” Yamaguchi gave the cat one last scratch behind the ears before jogging to catch up with his friend. “

 Tsukki! You made me leave the poor kitty all alone! That’s so mean!” He playfully pounded against Tsukishima's back with his fists while the latter hid a sly smile in his hands.

“You don’t even like cats!”, Tsukishima wheezed. “Are you gonna leave me for those terrible cats once we start the practice game?” Yamaguchi laughed and flattened his hair to look like the infamous Nekoma captain.

“Too late, Tsukki. I already am one! Call me Kuroo-san! Oh ho ho!”, he laughed. Tsukishima’s smile turned into one of disgust so quickly that Yamaguchi had to bite his tongue to keep his laugh in.

“Don’t do that ever again.” The blond shuddered. “I think that’s going to be a recurring nightmare until I’m 50, thanks a lot.”

Yamaguchi fluffed his hair back up and giggled.

“Tsukki, the only nightmare you’ve ever had that I know about is Hinata finally being your height, which isn’t all that scary.”

Tsukishima flushed, looking away. “It is scary once you think about it. A head as empty as his combined with all those inches is something the world isn’t ready for.”

Yamaguchi laughed, big and ugly. He snorted, wheezing for breath.

“N-nice, Tsukki.” They parted at their little fork in the road, both waving goodbye before Tsukishima put his headphones on, blocking out all outside noises.

_“So he snorts when he laughs, huh? That’s pretty cute.”_

Tsukishima let himself in once he arrived at home, knowing that his mom wouldn’t be home until later. Yamaguchi had sent him a text asking about the physics homework, accompanied by a picture of the stray dog that lived in the alleyway near his house. He sent a picture of the assignment after fishing it out of his bag.

Yamaguchi sent a text of thanks before his icon faded, showing that he was offline. The news was in in the living room, the television flashing with the lights of an emergency.

 _“There had been an attempted robbery at a nearby bank and the robber has taken hostages, I repeat, there are hostages. Police say that there may be some type of bomb threat as well, so civilians are advised to stay out of this area until the criminal has been disposed of.”_ The images on the screen were of a bank that looked oddly familiar.

That was the bank his mom worked at.

Kei ran out the door, physics homework forgotten on the table.

* * *

“Glad you could make it, partner.” It seemed as if Kei arrived really late, as his silver haired partner was already observing the scene.

“Well, physics homework is no picnic. Not to mention, I live at least 40 minutes away from here and I ran on foot.”

“What was that? I didn’t hear you!”

Moonshine turned around to deliver a snappy comeback when he saw double.

Literally.

Starlight leaned on his own shoulder, the sign of Gemini blazing bright on his palm.

“Isn’t this cool? I can make copies of myself! Now there’s twice the suave and more for you to handle.” Starlight winked, causing Moonshine to flush lightly.

“Yeah, and all the more for me to reject. Let’s go.” Starlight sighed, willing his copy to rejoin with the rest of his body. The pair jumped off the building they were strategizing on and landed in front of the police barricade.

“Hey! You’re not supposed to be in front of the barricade!”, an officer cried out.

“But, I’m magic. So, overruled.” Starlight stuck his tongue out at the offending officer before following his partner inside the bank.

“You did not just stick your tongue out at an authority figure.”

“In my defense, he was harassing me. So technically, it counts as self defense.”

“You’re insufferable.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow sorry for being so late with this chapter I fell into a trashcan aka vOLTRON LEGENDARY DEFENDER HELP ME
> 
> yell at me on tumblr: barazumi-hajime

**Author's Note:**

> I already have this entire thing planned on my head ohohoho
> 
> Also, Tsukki's hella gay for Starlight. Just putting it out there.


End file.
